Honeymoon for Free

Guest Author - Kara Williams

There are three ways you can honeymoon for free--or nearly free anyway.

Win a contest
Somebody's name has to be drawn in that vacation sweepstakes, right? Why couldn't it be yours? Enter "vacation sweepstakes" or "win a trip" into Google and you'll turn up a handful of travel-related contests. I've also seen plenty sponsored by manufacturers of food products, of all things. They are often advertised in the coupon flyers included in my Sunday newspaper. Typically at bridal shows or expos a honeymoon is given away. You might have to stick around until the drawing is done at the very end of the show, but it might be worth it!

Here's an ongoing vacation sweepstakes from Frommers: At the beginning of each month, the guidebook giant offers a sweepstakes for a vacation somewhere in the world. Past winners have traveled to Ireland, Holland, Rome, Fiji, India and Greece.

Register for your honeymoon
Honeymoon registries work the same way department-store registries do. You select your destination or travel package, and friends and family make donations to the cost of your honeymoon. Gift-givers can choose to make a blanket cash donation, or specifically designate their money to go toward airfare, accommodations or fun activities like sunset cruises, massages, a golf game and much, much more. The most popular travel registry is HoneyLuna.com.

Book your destination wedding, then honeymoon for free
At some resorts, if you book your wedding there (of course, bringing along perhaps dozens or hundreds of paying guests) you'll get to honeymoon for free--either at that hotel or at a sister resort.

For example, arrange your wedding at any RockResort with a minimum outlay of $15,000 for the wedding celebration, and you can honeymoon at another property a no cost.

Similarly, some all-inclusive couples' resorts like Sandals offer a "WeddingMoon," where you pay for your 7-night stay, but your wedding is included.